László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections

Departing from the fact that László Moholy-Nagy’s Von Material zu Architektur (1929), had been an important source of inspiration for Alvar Aalto, this article examines the affinities between László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s intellectual positions. The article places emphasis on two particular i...

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Main Author: Marianna Charitonidou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Architectural Research Centers Consortium 2020-12-01
Series:Enquiry: The ARCC Journal of Architectural Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arcc-journal.org/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/1080
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author Marianna Charitonidou
author_facet Marianna Charitonidou
author_sort Marianna Charitonidou
collection DOAJ
description Departing from the fact that László Moholy-Nagy’s Von Material zu Architektur (1929), had been an important source of inspiration for Alvar Aalto, this article examines the affinities between László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s intellectual positions. The article places emphasis on two particular ideas: how Aalto and Moholy-Nagy conceived the connection of biology with standardization and technology and its relationship to light and perception. Special attention is paid to the notions of “flexible standardisation” and rationalisation in Aalto’s thought, as well as to his belief that nature and standardization should be conceived are closely interconnected. In regard to their shared intellectual development, the article sheds light on the first encounters of the two men including: their meeting at the second Congrès International de l’Architecture Moderne (CIAM) in 1929; the June 1931 Finish meeting of Aino Marsio-Aalto, Alvar Aalto, Moholy-Nagy and Ellen Frank; the June 1931 exchanges between Aalto and Moholy-Nagy during the inner circle CIAM meeting in Berlin; and the common stay of the Aaltos and Moholy-Nagy in London in 1933 are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on Aalto’s “The Reconstruction of Europe is the Key Problem for the Architecture of Our Time”, in which he argued that standardization in architecture should draw upon biological models.
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spelling doaj.art-844be26d55a54df1ab658c6e0f3525572022-12-21T23:19:09ZengArchitectural Research Centers ConsortiumEnquiry: The ARCC Journal of Architectural Research2329-93392020-12-0117110.17831/enq:arcc.v17i1.1080László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s ConnectionsMarianna Charitonidou0Department of Architecture ETH ZurichDeparting from the fact that László Moholy-Nagy’s Von Material zu Architektur (1929), had been an important source of inspiration for Alvar Aalto, this article examines the affinities between László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s intellectual positions. The article places emphasis on two particular ideas: how Aalto and Moholy-Nagy conceived the connection of biology with standardization and technology and its relationship to light and perception. Special attention is paid to the notions of “flexible standardisation” and rationalisation in Aalto’s thought, as well as to his belief that nature and standardization should be conceived are closely interconnected. In regard to their shared intellectual development, the article sheds light on the first encounters of the two men including: their meeting at the second Congrès International de l’Architecture Moderne (CIAM) in 1929; the June 1931 Finish meeting of Aino Marsio-Aalto, Alvar Aalto, Moholy-Nagy and Ellen Frank; the June 1931 exchanges between Aalto and Moholy-Nagy during the inner circle CIAM meeting in Berlin; and the common stay of the Aaltos and Moholy-Nagy in London in 1933 are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on Aalto’s “The Reconstruction of Europe is the Key Problem for the Architecture of Our Time”, in which he argued that standardization in architecture should draw upon biological models.https://arcc-journal.org/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/1080László Moholy-NagyAlvar Aaltoflexible standardizationbiologyrationalizationBiotechnik
spellingShingle Marianna Charitonidou
László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections
Enquiry: The ARCC Journal of Architectural Research
László Moholy-Nagy
Alvar Aalto
flexible standardization
biology
rationalization
Biotechnik
title László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections
title_full László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections
title_fullStr László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections
title_full_unstemmed László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections
title_short László Moholy-Nagy and Alvar Aalto’s Connections
title_sort laszlo moholy nagy and alvar aalto s connections
topic László Moholy-Nagy
Alvar Aalto
flexible standardization
biology
rationalization
Biotechnik
url https://arcc-journal.org/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/1080
work_keys_str_mv AT mariannacharitonidou laszlomoholynagyandalvaraaltosconnections